Kings of Leon

Live at the O2, London, England Sony Music ***

The problem with Kings of Leon is not necessarily their music, which updates good ole “Southern Boy” boogie by blending primal, swaggering rock guitar riffs with a finger lickin’ pop sensibility. Rather, it’s their distinct lack of personality: they’re no more rock gods than the guy down at the chip shop who swears he’s Elvis. Place the band in a small(ish) venue and they give terrific value for money; position them on an open-air stage and they’re guaranteed to please. They come a cropper in mid-size enormodomes, where – without visual bells and whistles, a light show spectacle and the showmanship of a Bono or a Chris Martin – they seem uneasy. If they wish to continue on the path to bigger and better things, then, on the basis of this enjoyable nuts-and-bolts performance (which, like the DVD, is of the vanilla variety) they need to come up with a few extras. www.kingsofleon.com